PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Police are working with owners to crime-proof their properties in a busy part of central Phoenix, and the effort is paying off.<\/p>\n
The city has identified five focus areas along 19th Avenue where police are working with property owners to tackle crime. Officials say a big piece of this effort involves meeting with owners about simple steps they can take to prevent crime on their properties.<\/p>\n
Phoenix Police Officer Eric Boardman, a community action officer at the Desert Horizon Precinct<\/a>, conducts crime prevention audits on properties throughout the area.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when we arrive, I\u2019m looking for areas where people could hide, and I want to eliminate those areas,\u201d Boardman said. \u201cWe want the public to have a clear line of sight from the street looking into the property.\u201d<\/p>\n At the Mesquite Terrace Apartment Complex<\/a> on 19th Avenue and Camelback Road, Boardman made several recommendations to management. The property had overgrown vegetation that provided hiding spots for potential criminals.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a tree right here. This was overgrown. The bushes right here were probably 5 feet high,\u201d Boardman said.<\/p>\n Cutting down foliage was one of several recommendations Boardman made to Mesquite management. He also suggested additional lighting and cameras, along with \u201cno trespassing\u201d signs so they could sign an \u201cauthority to arrest\u201d agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only when the business is closed and we can then come on the property on their behalf and enforce trespassing,\u201d Boardman explained. <\/p>\n The complex also added lock boxes for officers so they can get into the buildings quickly if they\u2019re called out for help.<\/p>\n Tonya Hollingsworth from Mesquite Terrace said they asked police for help curbing crime on their property after more residents called management with concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cThey did not feel safe to walk around, especially at night,\u201d Hollingsworth said.<\/p>\n Six months later, Hollingsworth says the extensive list of improvements is paying off.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a big list. It was a lot of work, but there\u2019s a lot of reward to that work,\u201d Hollingsworth said.<\/p>\n Police say from the first half of 2025 to the second half of 2025, there were approximately 18% fewer calls for service on the apartment complex\u2019s property.<\/p>\n It is one of several properties they\u2019re collaborating with on 19th and Camelback. Similar work is happening on 19th and Campbell Avenue, Glendale Avenue, Bethany Home Road and Northern Avenue.<\/p>\n Nick Valenzuela, special projects administrator for the City of Phoenix, says these are the top five focus areas along the corridor. Their goal is to cut crime and help residents feel protected.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can you do to make your residents feel safer, but also reduce the incidents that may be coming onto your property,\u201d Valenzuela explained.<\/p>\n While these audits are only one piece of the puzzle, Valenzuela said every piece counts.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want to feel safe. They want to be able to go to Fry\u2019s. They want to be able to take the light rail and just feel safe and know that they\u2019re not going to have anyone try to attack them,\u201d Valenzuela said.<\/p>\n Any property owner in the city of Phoenix, whether a business or home owner, can request a crime prevention audit through Phoenix police by reaching out to the precinct they fall under.<\/p>\n You can find more information about the city\u2019s Community Safety Plans by clicking\/tapping here<\/a>.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n